Harry thought Snape would be delighted if he actually died from the residual potion.
Afterward, he and Hermione helped Ron pack up the unused ingredients and went to the stone sink in the corner of the classroom to wash their hands and spoons.
"Very good, we might get a new toad specimen today." Looking at Neville, who was cowering beside the cauldron, Snape couldn't help but reveal a cruel smile, his black eyes gleaming. "Let's see what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he makes the Shrinking Solution, his toad will shrink into a tadpole. If he messes up, which I have no doubt he will, the toad will be poisoned and die, and our potions laboratory will have a new specimen."
The Gryffindor students watched in fear; the Slytherin students watched with excitement. Snape, holding the toad Trevor in his left hand, put a small spoonful into Neville's potion. The black potion emitted a pungent odor. Without much thought, it was obviously a poison. He dripped a few drops into Trevor's throat.
Trevor began to writhe wildly in Snape's palm, and then lay down stiffly.
"No!" Neville's small eyes immediately turned red, his eyes filled with complex emotions, including regret and hatred. He was annoyed that he was so bad at potions, and he resented Snape for always targeting him, knowing that he was not good at this subject and still making things difficult for him.
He had always been submissive, but today he felt that his anger was uncontrollable. This was a friend who had been with him the longest. It wouldn't laugh at him, and although he often lost it, he could always find it again. But today, his partner was "poisoned" because of him. He felt that he would never forgive himself, and he would never forgive this "vicious" teacher in front of him.
"Very well, I now declare class dismissed," Snape said with a satisfied smile.
The Gryffindor students didn't know how to comfort Neville, who seemed dead, staring intently at the motionless Trevor lying on the ground.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't know what comforting words to say to Neville either. It all seemed very pale and weak. They had no way to help now.
Afterward, Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the stairs to the entrance hall. Ron said indignantly, "That old bat is so annoying."
Harry nodded in agreement.
Hermione hummed in agreement, then waved her hand and said, "I forgot some things in the classroom. I'll go back and get them. You don't have to wait for me." Even though it looked like Trevor had been poisoned, she still wanted to try, even if her antidote was completely useless. She knew Neville should still be in the classroom staring blankly at Trevor's "corpse."
Just as she trotted back to the door of the potions classroom, she suddenly heard a voice she didn't want to hear. Hermione immediately stopped, and for some unknown reason, she stopped at the door and began to eavesdrop.
"Are you willing to be bullied like this all the time?"
"Even if your potion-making is terrible, can't you even say a word of refusal?"
"Under the circumstances that you didn't agree, could our Head of House really force 'poison' into your pet's mouth?"
"So, Trevor's death is largely related to you. It died because of your cowardice."
"No, it's not me." Neville shook his head frantically. He was already sad, but now being told that he was actually the culprit was so cruel to him.
"You only needed to mention Dumbledore, just like your housemate just did, and your pet could have escaped. At most, Professor Snape would have taken the opportunity to deduct some Gryffindor points."
Hermione, who was outside the door, didn't know how to feel when she heard herself being mentioned, because his mention of her had no emotional color, it was just a simple example.
"But you were still submissive and watched your pet being killed. Do you regret it now?" The male voice continued to echo in the classroom.
"Regret." Neville said softly, but his tone was full of unwillingness.
"Then let all cowardice go to hell. Why are you afraid? When you choose to refuse, is there anything more painful than your pet dying in front of you?"
"Where is the courage you had when facing your companions? You can dare to stand firm when facing friends, but now when facing people who don't like you, do you still have to keep putting up with it?"
"Your grandmother might give you another owl, a rat, or a new toad. How about it, poison it again?"
The continuous questioning made Neville's lips tremble non-stop. He dared not answer.
"Tell me, what is your answer?" Malfoy's voice became cold.
"Let that old bat go to hell!" Neville roared with all his might, startling Hermione outside the door. She had never heard Neville say such disrespectful words to a teacher, whether in class or in private.
"Very good." Malfoy looked him up and down with satisfaction, and then said, "Your eyes have changed. I hope that the timid Longbottom is gone. Today is your rebirth, right?"
"Yeah." Neville nodded. He felt as if he had suddenly opened a heavy shackle that had been fastened on him, as if all the haze had been swept away by the sunlight. This was his mood now.
"So, you are qualified to have it again." Malfoy smiled, and then, while chanting a "spell," he pointed his wand at Trevor, who had been "lying stiff" for a long time.
"Gou..." Neville was confused. This spell made him clueless, but out of trust in Malfoy, he still looked at Trevor with anticipation, expecting a miracle to happen.
"Its legs are starting to move!" Neville said excitedly, his face flushed red, extremely excited.
"If your level is high enough, you will know that toads are a kind of creature that is very difficult to kill." Malfoy shrugged and said. This was also a way for him to satisfy his own bad taste. In fact, that spell was not necessary, it was just a means to satisfy himself.
"Thank you." Neville kept thanking him.
"It's just a small effort." Malfoy said with a smile, and then added: "If you don't get up, lunch time will be over." Only then did Neville quickly climb up from the ground, and found that his stomach had begun to protest. He was too sad just now and forgot about hunger for a while.
Hearing that they were about to leave the classroom, Hermione no longer lingered. She felt that if she stayed here and met these two, the scene would be very awkward.
"That's right, I still have class, I have to hurry." She said to herself while jogging, as for what she was really thinking in her heart, she chose to avoid it for the time being.
This conversation that she accidentally overheard made her position begin to waver again. (To be continued.)
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